Chapter 161

Chapter 161: Chapter 161

The children wanted to go too, but Granny Cai stopped them.

Although it wasn’t raining anymore, it was windy by the sea, and the air was heavy with moisture. Children have weaker immune systems and could easily get sick.

"You all stay here. I’ll make you honey peach ice bowls!"

The moment they heard that, the three children instantly stopped fussing. They crowded around Granny Cai, waiting for their icy treat.

Han Xiaorui and Liang Xiaoyu put on their raincoats and rubber boots and headed to the shore.

On the way, they ran into the director of the Women’s Federation, Xu Hongxia.

"Aunt Hongxia, are you here to gather seafood too?" Han Xiaorui greeted her.

Xu Hongxia smiled. "Yes. I figured I’d pick up whatever’s washed ashore. It’ll save me from having to buy it."

Liang Xiaoyu sidled up to her. "Auntie, let’s team up. Xiao Rui has amazing luck. If we stick with her, we’re guaranteed to fill our buckets."

Xu Hongxia had long heard about Han Xiaorui’s good fortune. Her family often received fish that Han Xiaorui had given them.

Many people were envious, saying Han Xiaorui was being fed by Mazu herself, or that she was the Dragon King’s own daughter.

Others had to wake up early and work tirelessly into the night to catch fish. But Han Xiaorui? For her, it was like going to the sea to pick up money!

"Alright, I’ll bask in Xiao Rui’s good luck today then." Xu Hongxia’s face lit up. ’If we really fill our buckets, I won’t have to buy groceries for two days!’

Chatting and laughing, they arrived at the beach, each carrying a bucket in one hand and tongs or a shovel in the other.

The tide was out, and many villagers from Jinshan Bay were scouring the beach for seafood.

They quickly picked up the fish, shrimp, and shells on the beach. Some spotted small holes in the sand and dug out octopuses and crabs.

When a wave surged toward the shore, people would quickly run forward with their nets and buckets. After the water receded, some fish and shrimp would be left behind on the sand.

Besides gathering seafood, everyone subconsciously kept an eye on those around them, trying to stay in groups.

If someone were to fall or have an accident, they could get help.

Han Xiaorui joined the crowd, experiencing it all firsthand. At high tide, the sea chased the people; at low tide, the people chased the sea.

They ran back and forth like this, picking through the gifts the ocean offered.

The fish weren’t large, but they were very fresh.

Before long, Han Xiaorui had filled half her bucket. She threw back the ones that were too small, but Liang Xiaoyu and Xu Hongxia kept everything.

Many of the small fish and shrimp probably wouldn’t survive even if they were swept back out to sea.

Han Xiaorui ran quickly, and the smell of the ocean filled her with a sense of joy.

The little sea snake, playing nearby, was puzzled by Han Xiaorui’s actions.

Its mind, which didn’t understand human nature, couldn’t figure it out. But it did know that its master liked tasty fish and shrimp.

So it began herding the fleeing fish and shrimp, using the tide to send them near Han Xiaorui.

"Sister-in-law Xiao Yu! Aunt Hongxia! Quick, come over here! There are so many!" Han Xiaorui cried out, having just snatched up two red snappers.

Liang Xiaoyu and Xu Hongxia’s eyes lit up with delight as they hurried over to gather the fish. Han Xiaorui, however, set down her bucket and ran forward, chasing the receding waves.

At the water’s lowest point, she spotted four large, brown sea snails.

To her surprise, Han Xiaorui even saw the little sea snake.

She remembered how the little sea snake had once brought her ambergris, which had sold for over two million.

’Could there be a surprise inside these sea snails it brought this time?’

Han Xiaorui quickly scooped up the sea snails from the muddy sand and ran back.

The waves lapped gently at her heels. Han Xiaorui’s steps were light, like a playful little fish, and her clear laughter carried far across the beach...

Xu Hongxia held her back, watching the young, beautiful, and cheerful Han Xiaorui with envy. "It’s great to be young!"

Liang Xiaoyu smiled. "Being young is great, but your mindset matters too. Xiao Rui is so free-spirited and doesn’t let things get to her. She’s always laughing. When I’m around her, I don’t have a single worry. I just feel so happy."

She thought back to the past. Because her son couldn’t speak, people had mocked him, calling him an idiot, and Liang Xiaoyu’s life had been difficult.

Liang Xiaoyu had it a little better than Han Xiaorui did back then because her mother-in-law and husband were reliable, and her own family lived nearby and could offer support.

She had originally thought she would live out her entire life in this humble, miserable way, but then she met Han Xiaorui.

After breaking free from the cage of her marriage, Han Xiaorui’s brilliance blossomed like the sun in the sky, sweeping away all the gloom from life.

She learned that her child’s condition could be treated, that fishing could be this joyful, that she could eat so much delicious food, and that she could earn so much money.

Xu Hongxia thought for a moment and agreed wholeheartedly. "You’re right. That’s why I’m planning to give this year’s ’Outstanding Woman of March 8th’ nomination to Han Xiaorui. I hope all the women in Jinshan Bay can be as optimistic and positive as she is."

Hearing this, Liang Xiaoyu’s eyes lit up. "Auntie, giving it to Xiao Rui is the right choice! Count every single young wife in our village—who can even compare to her?"

"Only that blind fool Yang Jianming would throw away such a wonderful wife. He ruined his greatest blessing. I’m just waiting to see what kind of miserable end he comes to!"

Xu Hongxia sighed. "Indeed. It’s so hard on Zhigang. Ai, Zhang Xiufang is out of the hospital, and even though Zhigang is taking care of her, she still curses at him and Cuicui. If it were any other man, he would have abandoned her long ago."

"And now there’s a baby in an incubator, costing a fortune. But Zhigang hasn’t thought of giving up. He’s a real man."

Liang Xiaoyu was also sympathetic. "Yeah, I feel bad for Uncle Yang, too."

Han Xiaorui tried to put the sea snails she’d gathered into her bucket, but it was too full. She held the largest one in her hand.

"Aunt Hongxia, Sister-in-law Xiao Yu, you don’t actually need to feel sorry for Uncle Yang. He’s a good, responsible man, and everyone can see that. His son might be unreliable, but he has nephews."

"My Pingping and An’an, and that other child being cared for—when they grow up, they will all be Uncle Yang’s blessings. What he’s going through now isn’t true suffering. He has plenty of good fortune waiting for him in the future!"

Xu Hongxia was stunned for a moment, then she smiled. "Xiao Rui is right! His good fortune is yet to come!"

Liang Xiaoyu couldn’t help but admire how positively Han Xiaorui saw things.

With their buckets full, they all headed home.

When Granny Cai saw the brown sea snails in Han Xiaorui’s bucket, she paused for a second before leaning in for a closer look. "Xiao Rui, these are Coconut Snails. They’re so big! Maybe there are pretty pearls inside."

Han Xiaorui was thrilled. "Are the pearls valuable?"

Granny Cai answered, "Of course they are. If you’re not in a hurry for the money, you can have them made into jewelry. Not only will it be beautiful, but it will also increase in value."

"Mom, how do you know all this?" Liang Xiaoyu was shocked, realizing she had underestimated her mother-in-law.

Granny Cai rolled her eyes, feeling like her daughter-in-law was looking down on her. "My family might have been poor peasants for eight generations, but when I was a girl, I worked under a master in a wealthy household."

"That family was incredibly rich. The lady of the house loved the pearls from sea snails. She thought they were even more beautiful than the pearls from oysters."

"Rare and beautiful things are always expensive. They were expensive back then, and the price won’t be low now. It’s just that you can’t go looking for these things; you have to stumble upon them. That’s why you don’t see them on the market very often."

"Xiao Rui, let them sit for a day to purge the sand. Tomorrow afternoon, I’ll come over and help you prepare the snail meat and cook something up. We can also see if there are really any pearls inside!"

Han Xiaorui nodded eagerly, her eyes filled with hope. She had a feeling just now that there was indeed something inside them. "Sounds good, Sister Cai! I’ll be home waiting for you tomorrow so we can do it together."